As the only TreeShare+ certified program, RootsMagic is the only software certified to share sources with FamilySearch Family Tree. We’ve gotten a lot of questions about this great feature, so we’ve created a short (12 min) video that shows exactly how to do this. But let’s start with a quick overview first.

Sharing Sources with FamilySearch

Once a RootsMagic person has been matched to a person on FamilySearch, you may wish to compare and exchange sources between RootsMagic and FamilySearch. The source tab will display the sources attached to the RootsMagic person on the left and the sources attached to the FamilySearch person on the right. You can view more details about a particular source by clicking the blue information icon to the right of the source name.

Click to embiggen the image

Clicking the checkbox in front of a source will bring up a screen with one or more options available for the source. You can copy a source from RootsMagic to FamilySearch, or from FamilySearch into RootsMagic, and you can also detach, tag or untag a source on FamilySearch. Choose what you want to do with the source and then select the options for that comand. Some options (like copying a source from RootsMagic to FamilySearch) will also ask you to enter a reason why you are making that change.

Click to embiggen the image

If your RootsMagic source has a WebTag, the URL for that WebTag will be included when you copy the source to FamilySearch. When moving a source from FamilySearch to RootsMagic, the URL (if any) will be added as a WebTag attached to the source when it is brought over.

A Short Video

And here is that short video I promised, which goes into more detail about how to share sources between RootsMagic and FamilySearch Family Tree.

Remember, to use RootsMagic with FamilySearch Family Tree, you’ll need to be using the latest version of RootsMagic 6 (6.3.0.2). If you already own version 6, select Help > Check for Updates from the main menu. If you are using an older version, you’ll need to upgrade to v6.

In our next blog article, we’ll show you another FamilySearch feature unique to RootsMagic, the Change History List with the ability to restore incorrect changes to Family Tree.

Information and Links

Join the fray by commenting, tracking what others have to say, or linking to it from your blog.

I noticed that if I click “Share Data”, thus displaying the RM6 window and the “My FamilySearch Person” window, that if I click on birth, marriage, or death information that it can copy from one window to the other. But if I’d like to add a spouse or marriage event that I don’t yet have in RM6 from FamilySearch, it asks if I wish to delete the event. Why is that? And, how can I copy a marriage event back to RM6?

Ooops. I wrote “birth, marriage, or death”, but I meant “birth, death, or burial.” Please forgive.

Happy Dae·
GENTREK Genealogy Chats

Comment Number:

5

Written by:

Alan H Zeller

Posted on:

August 16, 2013 at 7:51 pm

The existing “ancestor clutter” in the FamilySearch Family Tree makes me hesitate to plunge into this. Tracing one of my lines resulted in seven or eight pairs of parents (fourteen or sixteen unique ID’s) for an ancestor about six generations in the past. I would have to invest a large amount of time into cleaning up that confusion.

Comment Number:

6

Written by:

Margaret Parsons

Posted on:

August 16, 2013 at 9:52 pm

Bruce, I just watched the video “Share Sources between Roots Magic and Family Search”. Well done! However, to my surprise the Source list in RootsMagic was in alphabetical order! Does this mean your are working on this for RootsMagic 6 users? I hope, I hope, I hope!

OK, now I’m red-faced. It seems that the problem was corrected whilst I wasn’t looking. Not only that, but now you can bring children across the windows! You gotta love it!

Happy Dae·
GENTREK Genealogy Chats

Comment Number:

8

Written by:

Mary Jane Bracken

Posted on:

August 17, 2013 at 11:24 am

Very insightful and helpful. Thank you.

Comment Number:

9

Written by:

Richard Rawson

Posted on:

August 17, 2013 at 12:06 pm

Clear and very helpful.

Comment Number:

10

Written by:

Alan Wood

Posted on:

August 17, 2013 at 2:47 pm

“Embiggen”??

Comment Number:

11

Written by:

Chris

Posted on:

August 17, 2013 at 4:55 pm

Can you make the video larger? I didn’t watch much of it as I couldn’t see any text, just an arrow roaming around. Thanks.

Comment Number:

12

Written by:

Beverly Markham

Posted on:

August 17, 2013 at 10:01 pm

In the latest Blog, You wrote that there was a video to go along with the blog but I cannot find it. Where did you put it?
was the video just the screen shots that you included?
just wondering.
BTW I have to teach a Rootsmagic class at the upcoming FHC Conference here in Prescott, Az, in October.
Beverly Markham.

Comment Number:

13

Written by:

Beverly Markham

Posted on:

August 17, 2013 at 10:20 pm

I just found the video on this page. It was not available on my computer in the blog that I opened in my email.
thanks for what you demonstrated.
I’M aglad that I found it
Beverly

Comment Number:

14

Written by:

Norma S. Hovey

Posted on:

August 18, 2013 at 6:07 pm

I love roots magic. You have done such a wonderful job of creating this user friendly program and I am so impressed that you continue to bring forth more and more wonderful features to help us accomplish our family history work with less repeated effort.
Thank you.
Norma S. Hovey

Comment Number:

15

Written by:

Jeannette Claridge

Posted on:

August 18, 2013 at 7:41 pm

This sounds and looks wonderful – thanks!

Comment Number:

16

Written by:

Bill

Posted on:

August 19, 2013 at 1:04 pm

Embiggen? The Simpsons are now making the rules about the English language? Lets keep it correct and use ENLARGE instead please.

Comment Number:

17

Written by:

K. Kane

Posted on:

August 20, 2013 at 10:27 am

I’ll say “embiggen”?? What’s wrong with “enlarge?” Why did I work so hard teaching children all those years if they’ll just go out into the world and find that? KK

Comment Number:

18

Written by:

Ron V

Posted on:

August 20, 2013 at 7:03 pm

I was wondering if someone would mention your use of the word “embiggen” in lieu of “enlarge.” Writers of the Wiktionary have the same issues as comments 16 & 17, that is was used only on the Simpsons and wasn’t in common usage until 2007. Before that, the word “enlarge” was (and still is) the more common term. “Embiggen” is still rare though it has been found in a 19th Century text. Thanks for a great product in Roots Magic 6. If you prefer to use “embiggen” rather than the more common “enlarge”, we’ll stumble around the word and try to avoid tripping.

Well done video. Very helpful! I’m looking forward to being able to share pictures.

Comment Number:

22

Written by:

Mission Fig

Posted on:

August 21, 2013 at 12:05 pm

I’m glad to hear that notes are not part of Family Search as they are something I would chose to add person by person and note by note.

Comment Number:

23

Written by:

LaRayne W. Call

Posted on:

August 24, 2013 at 10:20 am

This is great. I’ve put most of my people with their sources in New Family Search of Family tree and then transfer them to Roots Magic. Since I have multiple sources for most of my ancestors I’ve been wondering how to transfer the sources without having to enter them again in Roots Magic. This was very helpful and I’m delighted to know that I do not have to do all of that work over again. What a time saver!

Comment Number:

24

Written by:

Coy Harmon

Posted on:

August 26, 2013 at 1:39 pm

Just wondering who coined the word “embiggen”. Wouldn’t enlarge do just as well and be as easily understood?